'Oldest' title belongs to ranch house

ANTELOPE ISLAND — As it turns out, I was wrong. Again.

In a recent column I wrote that the Beehive House in Salt Lake City, built in 1852, is the oldest structure in Utah still standing in its original location.

A reasonable assumption since permanent settlers didn't arrive in Utah until 1847 and the Beehive House is the oldest permanent building remaining in the place where those settlers first arrived, namely Salt Lake City.

But publication of the column brought this polite note from Ann Evans, education specialist for Utah State Parks:

"Lee — I really enjoyed your article on the Beehive House. You did have one very important fact wrong. The oldest man-made structure still in its original location is the Fielding Garr ranch house on Antelope Island. Construction began in 1848, and it was occupied by ranch families until 1981 when the state purchased the whole island. If you haven't been out to see the ranch house, it would be a very worthwhile trip. I'd happily arrange a tour for you."

I was impressed. Not only did Ann correct me without directly pointing out I was an idiot, she did it without using the word "But."

Of course I wanted to see the ranch house.

On a crisp October Friday I drove to Syracuse, crossed the seven-mile causeway across the Great Salt Lake and arrived at the 28,000-acre Antelope Island State Park.

Near the island's south end I found the ranch.

My tour guide was Clay Shelley, the curator of the ranch, which is now a living museum, complete with its very own pet deer, an 8-year-old doe named "Whisper," who, Clay told me, was bottle-fed when she was born.

Whisper met me at the gate, just ahead of Clay, who proudly pointed at what may be the world's tamest deer, and said as he motioned toward even more deer nearby, "she just became a great-grandmother."

Impressive. A great-grandmother at 8.

More impressive was the ranch house.

It was built four years before Brigham Young even got around to starting the Beehive House.

"We say it's the oldest Anglo dwelling in the state of Utah still on its original foundation," said Shelley. "Obviously, there are Indian pueblos and dwellings that are a lot older."